Welcome!

Lin Oliver, SCBWI's Executive Director, and Stephen Mooser, SCBWI's President, start us off with laughs, warm hearts and some great statistics.

1,235 people are here!

From 19 countries, including the USA.

Lin mentions how, looking at the faculty of this 43rd Annual Summer Conference, it struck her that many of the people who will be on her side of the podium this time around were once in our chairs - they were attendees.

The conference faculty do their annual parade, entering to Pharrel William's Happy … and share their one-word-for-us-to-savour-and-contemplate.

Lin grooving on down as the conference faculty enter past her, to the crowd clapping along

From Meg Medina's "Bienvenidos" to Cecilia Young's "Transform" it's a mix of a word poem and a round of speed-dating,

Linda Sue Park: "Fierce"

Tim Federle: "Optimism"

Lamar Giles: "Persevere"

Meg Rosoff: "Rebel"

And Randy Morrison's "Lacuna - the missing portion in a book or manuscript."

And so many more.

It's thought provoking… inspiring… and a wonderful start to our conference!